Tips for Cleaning Your Shower Drain

A clogged shower drain can quickly turn messy. Keep your drains in good working order with a regular cleaning. If you experience serious flooding or plumbing issues, a home remedy might make the situation worse. If you are unsure how to clean your Santa Cruz shower drain, call a professional plumber to solve the problem. Here are a few ways to clean a minor clog from your shower drain.

Commercial Drain Cleaner

You can find commercial drain cleaner in most box stores – but consider using this with caution. The chemicals in the cleaner break up blockages, freeing the drain from the clog, but they are best handled by pros. Follow all instructions on the bottle for safety, and don’t forget proper ventilation, safety eye wear, and rubber gloves. Chemicals can cause permanent damage if splashed on skin or in eyes.

The Natural Method

If the clog is small enough, try unclogging your drain the all-natural way. You will need baking soda, distilled white vinegar, an old rag, and a kettle of boiling water.

Pour a half-cup of baking soda down the opening of the drain.

Pour a half-cup of distilled white vinegar down the drain.

Stuff the opening of the drain with an old rag and let sit for a few hours.

Remove the rag and pour a kettle of boiling water down the drain to remove the blockage from the drain opening.

Repeat this as many times as needed to clear the drain.

You may want to wear rubber gloves and old clothing when attempting this method. It can get messy. Make sure small children and pets are out of the way when pouring boiling water.

Manual Removal

If there is hair clogging up the drain, try manually removing it with a coat hanger, a crochet hook, a drain snake, or a device specially made for removing hair from a drain. Unscrew the top of the drain, stick the hook down the opening, and pull out the hair until the drain is clean. Be sure to have a plastic bag or a trash can handy to throw out all the hair.

If none of these solutions work, chances are you have a bigger problem on your hands. Contact a professional plumber to get to the bottom of the problem.